Valved controlling apparatus for outboard-ballast and fuel-tanks



F. LANTZ. VALVED CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR OUTBOARD BALLAST AND FUELTANKS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, I920.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND LANTZ, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

- Application filed February 20, 1920. Serial No. 360,181.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L,1313) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FERDINAND LANTZ,acitizen of the German Republic, and a resident of Hamburg, Germany,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in' Valved ControllingApparatus for Outboard-Ballast and Fuel-Tanks, (for which I have causedapplication to be filed in Germany on Jan. 22, 1917, by JohannesSchowalter,) of which the, following is a specification.

In the previously known arrangements in submarine boats for the storageof fuel in the outboard tanks, said arrangements permittingan automaticaccess of outside water in the same proportion as fuel is with drawnfrom said tanks, the interior of the tanks is in permanent directconnection with the outside water.

However, these known arrangements, in which the interior of the fueltanks is under the pressure of the water surrounding the boat at anysubmerging depth of the latter, show the disadvantage that liquid fuelpasses to the outside water as well through the direct connection,through which the filling water enters into the interior of the tanks,as through leaks in the tank walls, especially at the riveted joints.The fuel, once having passed to the outside water, is lost and indicatesthe direction of travel of the boat, as it floats on the surface of thewater.

These disadvantages are substantially obviated in the present inventionthereby, that the filling water can enter into the fuel tanks onlythrough an automatically closing device and can return to the outsidewater only through another automatically closing device which isprovided in a second or roundabout pipe line.

When the automatically closing device, through which only the fillingwater can enter into the tank, is weighted by a spring, weight or thelike, the interior of the tank is held according to said weight under asubpressure in view of the water pressure. Then it is not possible thatthe'fuel liquid can escape from the tank, because it cannot flow from aplace with lower pressure (interior of the tank) to a place with higherpressure (outside water).

A special feature of my invention is seen therein, that the fuel isalways flooded by water. In this case the fuel can be heavier than thewater. If, however, the fuel is li hter than water, a diaphragmisprovided in the interior of the tank for the purpose of separating fueland water. Accordingly the arrangement is independent of the specificweight of the fuel compared with that of the water.

In the accompanying drawing two forms of construction of the subjectmatter my invention are represented by Figures 1 and 2.

The fuel tank 2 is provided on the outside of the pressure body land inthe form of execution, shown in Fig. 1, the fuel is arranged in theupper chamber 4; and the filling water in the lower chamber 3 of thefuel tank 2; in this case the fuel floats on the filling water andaccordingly must be lighter than water. In the form of execution,illustrated in Fig. 2, the fuel is arranged in the lower chamber 3 andthe filling water in the upper chamber 4. If now the fuel is heavierthan the water, the latter floats on the fuel. IVhen emulsions of waterand fuel are tobe prevented, water and fuel can be separated from eachother by means of a diaphragm 5; this is also true of the arrangementshown in Fig. 1. If, however, in the form of construction shown in Fig.2, the fuel is lighter than water the provision of the partition 5 isnecessary.

In both forms of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the fuel is drawnthrough a pipe 6 from the chamber 7 of a valve-like structure. Thischamber 7 is connected by means of a fuel pipe 8, in which is arranged avalve 9 for the fuel pipe 10 branching off from said pipe 8, with theupper chamber 4 (Fig. 1) or respectively with the lower chamber 3 (Fig.2) of the fuel tank. Within the casing 11 of the valve-like structure aweighted and thereby automatically closing member 12 is arranged, whichis opened by the sea-water, entering through the pipe 13 when the fuelis drawn off through the pipes 6 and 8. As said member 12is weighted inboth forms of j construction, shown in the drawing, by a slidableweight, the same closes again after the entering water has passed intothe chamber 15, thereby preventing said water from flowing back fromsaid chamber into the pipe 13 and from there to the outside water. Fromthe chamber 15 the water enters through the water fill pipe either intothe lower chamber 3 (Fig. 1) or into the upper chamber 1 (Fig. 2) of thefuel tank 2. Accordingly while in Fig. 1 the filling water graduallyfills the tank from the lower chamber toward the upper chamber inproportion to the quantity of fuel drawn off through the pipe 8, thefilling water in Fig. 2 fioods the fuel stored in the lower chamber 3,thereby gradually lowering the diaphragm 5 and always pressing'upon thefuel level.

In a second or roundabout pipe 17 between the sea water pipe 13 and twater fill pipe 16 an automatically closing member 18 is interposed,which is similar, to the member 12 in the main pipe, but can be openedin the opposite direction by a slight pressure or suction effect,accordingly the member 18 opens only then, when by any incident thepressure in the interior of the tank becomes greater than in the outsidewater. If the member is arranged to be opened by a suction effect, thismay take place when a sucking member, pump or the like, is provided inthe pipes 17 or 13.

Between the members 12 and 18 the liquids are tensioned within the tank2 and are under a pressure, which is as much less than the waterpressure surrounding the boat as the weight of the part 14 amounts to.By the above mentioned suction member (not illustrated) in the pipe 17 afurther permanent or temporary reduction of pressure in the tank can beobtained, when this is desired.

For the purpose of filling the fuel tank 2 with liquid fuel a connectionbetween the fuel fill pipe 10 and pipe 8 with the interior of the tankis established by means of the member 9. Under the pressure of theincoming fuel the water then escapes through the member 18 to the pipes16, 17, 13 in the same proportion as it has entered by means of themember 12 and through the pipes 13, 15, 16 when fuel was drawn off.

Having now particularly described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an arrangement in vessels, especially submarine boats for thestorage of fuel in outboard tanks a pipe system for filling andwithdrawing the fuel into and from said tanks, a further pipe system forfilling said Y tanks with sea water in proportion to the fuel drawn fromthe tanks, avalve-like structure connected to both said pipe systems andan automatically closing member in said valve structure through whichonly the filling water can enter intosaid fuel tanks.

'2. In an arrangement in vessels, especially submarine boats, for thestorage of fuel in outboard tanks, a pipe system for filling andwithdrawing the fuel into and from said tanks, a further pipe system forfilling said tanks with sea water in proportion to the fuel drawn fromsaid tanks, a valve-like structureconnected to both pipe systems, anautomatically closing member in said valve like structure through whichonly the filling water can enter into said fuel tanks and a secondautomatically closing member, provided in the second or roundabout pipesystem, through which only the filling water can leave the tanks.

3. In an arrangement in vessels, especially submarine boats, for thestorage of fuel in outboard tanks, a pipe system for filling andwithdrawing the fuel into and from said tanks, a further pipe system forfilling said tanks with sea water in proportion to the fuel drawn fromsaid tanks, diaphragms within the tanks serving as partitions toseparate the fuel from the water, a valve like structure, connected toboth pipe systems, an automatically closing member in said valve-likestructure, through which only the filling water can enter into saidtanks and a second automatically closing member, provided in the secondor roundabout pipe system, through which only the filling water canleave the tanks.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

FERD. LANTZ.

Witnesses:

W. T. AIES, V. WARNAN.

